Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1887-07-01

winter aud spring months the tungmen are
employed at their work, receiving from
eight to fifteen cents a bushel They work
in small boats, usually two in a boat. and
one man will take up from 10 10 30 bushels
in day The oysters are sold for the
northern markets at an average price Of
40 cents a hushel The largest grower
here Mr.. j. y. Darling, formerly Of New
York, in the first three years planted 40O,-
600 bushels at an expense Of about $3j,-
900.
1t is said that an oyster Of average size
produces from o 600, 600 to 60 600. 600 epgs
in year, each egg being about one five
hundredth of an inch in diameter. Under
natural conditions, however, not more than
one egg in I, 145 900 reaches maturity. and
all experiments in the artificial impregna-
ton and development Of oyster eggs have
rs yet failed Of success. The Virginia oys-
terman is satisfied If for every bushel Of
oysters he plants he is able to sell bushel
and half The spawn will not thrive in
a muddy, smooth bottom, but require some
clean object to which to attach themselves.
am told that the oystermen Of Long Island
sound, after having taken up their oysters.
replant their beds with empty shells mt IA
triiling cost, and the spawn of the remain
ing oysters attaching itself thereto makes
the planting Of young oysters unnecessary.
Here, however, the beds are renewed at
least in part, every three years
Other Industries, Crops, Etc.
During the early spring months shad fish
ing is pursued here to quite an extent.
After the season for oysters aud shad is
over, the darkies busy % themselves with
catching clans. crabs and small fish for
market or for their own eating, aud cult
waiting their craps"
Land in the vicinity Of Hampton and
Newport News, especially along the beach.
is mostly held at speculative prices-S2 $500
or more per acre hut at a little distance
inland good farming land can be bought at
$40 to 800 an acre Many Of the negroes
own small tracts. while others hire an acre
or two, often paying not more than e. per
acre. On this tract the negro builds IA little
board cabin costing $50 to 800, the leading
architectural feature Of which is the outside
chimney, and, keeping no stock but his
steer, few pigs and hens, and possibly
COW or few goats, takes from the land
what he can get without making any re
turn in the way of manure. With this
class OF farmers two barrels Of shelled corn
per acre is considered fair crop. Farm
ers, black or white who own their land and
manage 1t intelligently, make good living
g lt.V r.. 1
circumstances. Good grass and pasturage
Is scarce The crops grown are Irish and
sweet potatoes, corn oats wheat milct.
clover, melons. squashes peanuts, straw
berries and all the varieties Of fruit which
grow i'll New England An early and Il
late crop are often grown from the same
land. am told that when Strawberries
sell at ten cents a quart they are paying
the producer "A good profit and. as album
dainty as they may yield, there are plenty
of negro children 10 pick them
The climate Of this region is generally
healthy. and is not unsuited to New Eng
landers. During the present month the
mercury has ranged from 90 to ~ along
the beach. which, with the prevailing sea
anywhere. Farther inland, Of course, the
heat i, much less endurable.
Concerning Politics, etc.
a letter from the south would be incom-
plete without some reference to politics
but on this point my remarks will not be
lengthy. The counties which border ON
Chesapeake bay form what is known ~ the
black belt Of Virginia The colored pop
ulation predominates in these counties, aud
the Republican voters outnumber the Dem
ocratic or Readjuster, and in some localities
both combined This congressional district.
therefore, has usually been represented by
Republican, though some eight years ago
the Democrats succeeded in getting their
candidate counted in by the adoption of
grossly fraudulent methods The Demo
cratic legislature, IN order to make the
counting in process easier and gain more
complete control Of the elections, repealed
the old law, under which the Judges of
election in each voting precinct were ap
pointed by the county judge, and substitut
ed therefor the present law, by which three
men in each county, chosen 10y the le-,sla-
ture, appoint the judges of election This
elizabeth City county being Republican by
about three 10 one, the majority are usual
ly allowed 10 have things their own way.
The .grues of course constitute d large
majority Of the Republican voters, but 1t
does not necessarily follow that the county,
town and other local offices are filed hy
colored men. Comparatively few Of the
colored voters are as vet fitted to hold i'm
portant offices; and colored owner of
property or man of intelligence will sooner
vote for an intelligent white man than an
ignorant negro provided he be a man of
equally good reputation. In the canvass
preceding the county election held last
month, some Of the negro voters instigat-
ed by certain ambitious white politicians.
bolted III the convention and nominated Il
ticket of their own; but though the Demo
Gratis, instead Of taking advantage of the
split placed no ticket in the field the bolt
ers succeeded IN electing only one of their
candidates. Many of the minor offices, a.
Justices of the peace, constables. overseers
of the poor, etc, as well as several Of the
more important ones are now held by col
ored men, and l am inclined to believe that
here, Us IA rule the colored voters receive
politically all the consideration TO which
they are entitled In their aptitude and |
desire for educational and social improve |
ment, the negroes are superior to the poor
whites, but all are subject To some improve
ment and with the powerful influences
which emanate from the Armstrong school |
and from the liberal sprinkling of northern |
people who have lived here since the war.
it is not strange that even the representa-
tives of the old f. f. VS., particularly |
those who have come to maturity since the |
war, show some disposition to fall into line |
with the general march of Improvement. |
and that, though slowly. Yet surely, the |
work OF regeneration is going forward A |
gentleman of northern antecedents remark |
ed to me the other day, in conversation
Many of the southern Democrats are nice |
people ! have formed some very agreeable |
acquaintance among them. Though they |
may not invite me or my family To their
houses as guests and social equals. they
meet me cordially at the club room or on
the street, and our business relations are
entirely pleasant but when election time
comes round, political feeling wakes warm,
and its 'Hurrah boys and a rebel yell for
their side. l wish elections didn't occur
oftener than once in ten years then per
haps this old feeling would die out. How
ever, the number Of those who really
mourn for the lost cause" and cherish the
resentments accustomed by its defeat, aside
from professional politicians, is small One
OF the Hampton members of the Lee guard,
lust returnel from the biz Grnnh Arrlu 70 |